Re: make xconfig & xfree???

[Joost Witteveen <joostje@iliana.nl>]

Jeremy Brown wrote:
> Robert Tilley wrote:
>
> > Make was issued as root.  Why can't root connect to the xserver?
> >
> > root@debian-rtg:/usr/src/linux-2.6.8.1# make xconfig
> >  HOSTCC  scripts/basic/fixdep
> >  HOSTCC  scripts/basic/split-include
> >  HOSTCC  scripts/basic/docproc
> >  HOSTCC  scripts/kconfig/conf.o
> >  HOSTCC  scripts/kconfig/kconfig_load.o
> >  HOSTCC  scripts/kconfig/mconf.o
> >  HOSTCXX scripts/kconfig/qconf.o
> >  HOSTCC  -fPIC scripts/kconfig/zconf.tab.o
> >  HOSTLLD -shared scripts/kconfig/libkconfig.so
> >  HOSTLD  scripts/kconfig/qconf
> > scripts/kconfig/qconf arch/i386/Kconfig
> > qconf: cannot connect to X server
> > make[1]: *** [xconfig] Error 1
> > make: *** [xconfig] Error 2
> >
> > Any ideas welcome, Bob
> >  
>
> Might want to try doing:
>
> bash$ xhost +
>
> as a regular user, before attempting to connect to the X server as root.

It's a lot safer to put in root's .bashrc:

if test "$LOGNAME" != "root"; then
  export XAUTHORITY=/home/$LOGNAME/.Xauthority
fi

This will give user root access to the X session of the logged-in-user.

What you suggested will give _every_ user access to the X session,
including the ability to read passwords etc.

(And, if the server accepts TCP connections, "xhost +" allows everyone 
on the internet to connect, and look while you type your passords etc).

--
joostje